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The Experiences of Women in a Public Relations Firm: A Phenomenological Explication

Central Michigan University

Peter G. Ross

Central Michigan University

This paper uses the phenomenological method to explicate the experiences of women in a public relations firm. Seven women from a major midwestern public relations firm were interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of being a woman in public relations during the feminization of the profession. From the interviews, four initial clusters emerged: perceptions of public rela tions work prior to entering the field, realities of the nature of the work, lan guage as a shaper of reality, and conflicting roles. These clusters were further reduced to create two thematic clusters: the struggle with the changing role of women in society and the experience of being a woman in public relations. It was found that the essence of the experience of being a woman in public rela tions is in the negotiation and reconciliation of the ascribed roles and achieved roles. Women enter the workplace being, first, a woman, and, second, a daugh ter. In these roles, expectations and accepted behaviors are already formed, however, the added dimension of the work environment creates another role leading to internal conflict when defining the experience of being a woman in public relations. Although the roles appear to be unique and mutually exclusive, they are tightly woven together to create the essence of the experience of being a woman in public relations.

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